Red Dirt Girl

Not really a fan of the inclusion of these types of later career albums by established artists on this list. Much rather hear any of her first 12 albums than her 21st album. Much rather hear more vital music from artists establishing themselves from this time period than a "return to form" from a well established artist. Do you see any Frank Sinatra or Little Richard albums from the 70s taking up space on here? No. Because if you did it would take the place of much more vital/relevant music from that time period and it wouldn't make any sense. So why do you see so many of these albums that are a good decade or two after these artist's prime on this list as we get towards more recent music? I can only imagine it is a reflection of the average age of the people making the list. Baby boomers doing what they do best and taking up all the space and resources they can for themselves and consequently stifling the opportunities for younger generations to thrive (probably without fully realizing they are doing so). Not a critique of the album but the list itself.

This was an incredibly interesting album inclusion! I think for people to understand the significance of this, they'd have to understand a little bit more about Emmylou's musical style and the typical "expectations" around country music artists crossing over between genres. Emmylou's music has always kind of straddled a line between country and folk, this much is true. But many country music fans have a very specific expectation of their country music, and crossovers aren't always successful. Around this general time, other country artists were pushing the country-pop crossover successfully. But what Emmylou is pushing here is a crossover into more world-oriented folk music; this country-folk album is laden with many Eastern folk sounds if you listen closely. At the time, this was a virtually untapped crossover space (and potentially career suicide) for a country artist. And yet, Emmylou Harris absolutely shines in this crossover space. Always a talented artist, she somehow seems even more at home here; her vocals are more warbly, emotionally charged, and soulful, her guitar is more warm and gentle. Additionally, Emmylou had not historically written her albums, but this album, save for one song, is completely written by her. This is absolutely wild, as her lyrics are so poetic and well written that it makes this sound like she's been a lifelong songwriter. This isn't a typical Emmylou Harris album, but even though it's her nineteenth studio album, 30+ years into her career, it may reflect the purest form of Emmylou Harris. And while this type of crossover was not typical in the country space at the time, this has likely inspired country artists since, just as Emmylou was inspiring the work of country artists in the 1970s. This album was very peaceful and could have lulled me into hearing it as background noise, but between the beautiful vocals, lyrics, harmonies, and overall warmth of it all, it kept drawing me back in to listen to and appreciate its intricacies more actively. Even from the opening song, "The Pearl", I was feeling this gravitas. Pleasantly surprised by this album! To me, this album speaks of mid to later stage career shifts that can give way to beautiful and surprising results.

I don't know much Emmylou Harris, I know she is considered iconic in folk circles. I like her voice, definitely heard it on other collaborations. A lot of these tracks are just sort of "there" for me though, nothing that really jumps out to me. Very chill, not bad.

The entire album has an amazing sound. A blend of folk, country, mixed with contemporary production. It is soothing to listen to from beginning to end, at points feeling like ambience. Her timbre is beautiful, brilliant phrasing, and lovely harmonies via dubbed layers or with the featured vocalists. I really enjoyed it and really respect her ability to evolve her sound so late in her career.

Pleasant. But if I never heard it again, or never had heard it, I don't think my life would be any the poorer.

You can tell by the company Emmylou keeps how special of an artist she is. Duets with The Boss and Patty Griffin and Kate McGarrigle on the accordion. The Pearl is such an epic way to start this album that I was thinking it could end the album as well. She can do rock and folk equally well. Loved listening to this.

I wasn't sure how much I would love this album at first, but by the end my eyes were glistening and I wanted to go back and start over. Knowing of Emmylou Harris forever, but not being that familiar with her work, I didn't realize this was the first album she recorded with mostly songs she wrote or co-wrote. I love these songs. It was, however, "Red Dirt Girl" that really first caught my attention and grabbed my heart. Then "My Baby Needs a Shepherd" came on and "What are you doing to me?!?" Then "Bang the Drum Slowly" came on and "Oh no! *sob* I can't take it!" Going back and listening to everything again, I just thought it was a beautiful album. Beautiful music, beautiful voice, beautiful songs.

If her mid-career stuff is this good, then I really need to check out her earlier stuff…and everything else.

Have always steered away from country music but was willing to give this a fair listen, being familiar with Emmylou Harris... And I'm thankful I did, this is a great album. Calling it Country almost shortchanges it; I would also label it folk, Americana, Heartland. Although Emmylou is clearly the focus, it was really the music here that was the surprise. Highlight is "I Don't Wanna Talk About It Now" 7/10

Beautiful voice, some really strong tracks. But realistically won’t revisit

God it’s all so bloody dull. Clicked on wiki while enduring this - her 19th album and the first she wrote - stick to singing. Also under the Legacy section “Featured in the 1001 albums book” That says it all

If there’s a holier summary of pre-lame country music, this must take the cake. A very easy voice to listen to

At the time of its release, I listened to Red Dirt Girl and liked it, but would for years reach for Wrecking Ball when I wanted to listen to Emmylou Harris. Subsequently, I spent time with the album and truly appreciated it for the tremendous statement it. Frequently a quiet statement, and a representative of what a strong songwriter she had become.

Really great as always from Emmylou.

Just beautiful. I think it crossed over into a weird space where the country folks maybe didn't take to it like her traditional stuff, and other folks didn't give it a chance, but its truly amazing to immerse yourself in.

i've been waiting for this one to come around...had it on fairly heavy rotation back around '03 or so, then hadn't given it much thought. it's just as good now as it was then - like emmylou herself, this album doesn't seem to age. it's not that it ages well, it's that it just doesn't get any older with time. love it.

3 Stars isn't a bad thing at all- this is a good album, one I would listen to again sometime, but I don't know if it's her absolute best work. That said though, I love her sound. Her voice is so clear and pretty.

“Red Dirt Girl” by Emmylou Harris (2000) I’m familiar with Harris’ work as a background vocalist (for Neil Young, Bob Dylan, etc.) and her early hits, but I’ve never heard this album. Emmylou Harris was 53 years old when she recorded this album, and she exudes both youthfulness and maturity in her songwriting and performance. Harris has one of the most recognizable background voices in music of the 70s, with her easy timbre and flawless pitch control. In this solo production of her own composition, she rises to the occasion. She has exceptional strength in her lower range, with good control in her very occasional forays into the highest reaches of her range. It is very plain to hear on this album why she was a favorite for backup and duet work with male artists like Dylan and Young, whose vocal skills were both limited and idiosyncratic. She could make a frog sound sweet. As a songwriter, her compositions on this album are characterized by unsurprising yet moving melodies in major keys, with typical country/folk harmonies. This recording is innovative for Harris, primarily because of its experimental percussion and electronic soundscapes. Very well produced and recorded. The lyrics are serious, reflective, and powerfully feminine, with standard country meter and rhyme. I really liked listening to this. 3/5

Not normally a huge Country fan but I make an exception for Emmylou Harris

Red Dirt Girl I’m a sucker for late career albums like this, when commercial and career expectations are low and there’s a sense of nothing to prove. Having said that, there are some absolute stinkers in that field, but thankfully this is not a stinker at all, rather it hits all the right marks - tasteful, restrained, and with a melancholic sense of lives lived and experience gained - a combination that works for me. And it particularly works when it's in the country/folk/rock genre like this, and it especially works with someone like Emmylou Harris with her fantastic, gentle, evocative voice and slightly spectral presence. The only danger with this could be whether the late 90s production and drum loops are too prominent and distracting, but for the most part that’s not an issue, aside from the odd guitar part here and there. In fact the drum loops give it a nice shuffley and ethereal rhythmic sense, and I really like how they have woven in middle eastern textures, sounds and instruments with those drum loops and the country folk guitars to make a very immersive and atmospheric listen. The Pearl is a lovely ruminative opener about hardship and endurance. The christian imagery may be a bit on the nose but it's a great track hinting at the themes and sounds of the album. Michelangelo’s country folkness and vivid imagery are great, but her voice really elevates it. I Don’t Want to Talk About it Now is excellent, notwithstanding the slightly egregious wah wah/guitar effects, a great groove, melody and atmosphere. Tragedy has a lovely melody and another great vocal, as well as a very delicate and sensitive piano part helping echo the feelings of lost love. More loss and sadness permeates Red Dirt Girl, one of the more obviously country tracks, but again it’s a great little track. More religiousness on My Baby Needs a Shepherd, and I like the interpolation of Too ra loo, giving it a hymnal, lullaby quality and Ethan John’s baritone guitar is very tasteful too. Further spectral and ethereal atmospherics on Bang the Drum Slowly. The echoing percussion could be cheesy, but it works with the floating piano and musical texture. Some of it reminds me of The Rising, the Springsteen album, from a year or two after, which makes sense considering he appears on Tragedy and shares some of the middle eastern sounds. I love that Kate McGarrigle makes an appearance on J’Ai Fait Tout, it definitely has a very folk inspired melodic sense. The skittering drums work well, again they could easily feel out of place and too dated, but they are sympathetically arranged, giving it a nice tumbling rhythmic pattern. One Big Love is a great track, an excellent catchy melody and I love the organ in the intro. The lyric about letting go and taking chances is great, apart from the Monkey/Funky rhyme, which feels bad in a particularly middle aged way. Hour of Gold is excellent too, her gentle and evocative vocal is especially great with the longing and loss described in the words. My Antonia I’m not totally sure about, it’s a decent song but I don’t think Dave Matthews voice really suits the folk-ishness of the song or complements her voice that well, and is probably the one time the production moves from tasteful into vaguely distracting blandness. Fortunately Boy From Tupelo follows, a great track with nicely atmospheric guitar and a little tack piano part, the rolling percussion illustrating the keep on moving theme of the words. You could argue that there is a similarity to a lot of the tracks, perhaps feeling a little samey. I think that’s a fair argument, although its a sound and style I’m very on board with, and it also might be a consequence of it suffering from a bit of CD bloat. 55 mins is pretty long for 12 songs, a bit of judicious editing of song length to tighten it up would probably be beneficial. But overall it is delicately haunting and atmospheric listen, with her clear, beautiful, gentle and expressive voice, and it is a great example of a mature, late career album, similar to some of Springsteen’s later albums or something like Oh Mercy, with it’s reverb heavy production and slowed down tempos. Really not sure whether its 4 or 5 - I listened all day yesterday and this morning and didn’t really want to turn it off, and it will definitely go into rotation. As always I’ll go with the higher score - lifes too short to be parsimonious with an entirely arbitrary and subjective scoring system 🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️ Playlist submission: One Big Love

By the end I started to wonder if I should rate this slightly lower, as it started to drag for me, but I think overall I really appreciate what she was doing with this album.

Voz dulce y delicada

Good songs, very good voice. A relaxing album to listen to. I liked it.

Surely the Mother of US country music, a fantastic voice and some stand out tracks (particularly Red Dirt Girl) that both move and entertain you.

Pleasant folk/country/americana. Not my typical style, but very beautiful.

Really glad I read the wiki on this one b/c I realized I didn't know a lot about Harris. A lot of artists I like have been influenced by her but this was the first time I listened to her. Very much one of those artist you expect to be a singer song writer but interesting that this was her first time actually writing her own songs.

Notes - Country americana album - Notable for her writing her own songs, instead of her usual covers - Her songs are really good at using space, letting things breathe - The production is a little…. Questionable - There’s some early 2000s choices that I don’t think have aged super well - Was really hoping to enjoy this more but I didn’t find it super compelling Fav - Boy from tupelo - Like the piano playing and lyrics Least fav - I don’t wanna talk about it now - Has the dated effects I talked about 3/5 - enjoyable but a bit one-note

It's pretty wild that an artist in her 50s decides, on her 19th album, that she wants to start recording her own music rather than doing covers as she had for her entire career. I liked this album. Country is not particularly my genre, but she also does an idiosyncratic version of country that I find more interesting to listen to than most country music. It's not something that I see myself coming back to, but it's good overall 3/5

I liked the chill vibes, and her vocals are pretty pleasant. Although the album does get a bit bland, it's still a positive experience.

A nice album. I lost my focus about ten minutes in, so it became mostly background noise, but what I heard was pleasant.

Erster Eindruck: Escort Service Cover Art und entsprechend betulicher Heart Rock für den Cayenne fahrenden late Springsteen Hörer, der ich nie sein werde. Aber dann umschmeichelt mich diese satt-warme Textur, ein konstant gutes Songwriting und so gibt die Soccer Mom in mir Erdig-ehrliche 3.3

I didn't really enjoy this album. But, considering that I was expecting to hate this album, that's actually a pretty good outcome. Nobody who grows up in Alabama escapes "Red Dirt Girl" any more than they escape "Sweet Home Alabama". It's part of the landscape. That carries with it a passing familiarity with Emmylou Harris which means that I came into this album with some preconceived expectations. I'm happy to report that I was surprised by how much I didn't hate this album. It still wasn't super enjoyable, mind you. It's slow and boring and all the songs sound so very similar. Emmylou has a few vocal tricks up her sleeve and she just keeps repeating them over and over throughout the whole album. BUT. The music was solid (if sometimes painfully inoffensive) and the lyrics were interesting more often than not. I'd go so far as to say that each track, taken on its own, is solid and maybe even enjoyable. But, all together in an album, they smear into a mediocre mash of sameness. There's nothing super wrong with the album as a whole other than it just being kind of boring.

I guess they chose this album because Emmy Lou wrote all the songs for the first time. The song-writing is good, I especially liked the opener and the title track and the rest are pretty solid. For someone in her fifties she still had a beautiful voice. Musically It’s more folky than her earlier albums. I would have liked a bit more twang and a little less production.

I love Emmylou, but this early noughties "country goes modern" shtick is particularly cloying. The whole thing feels just a bit too floaty and forgettable.

It was nice, I enjoyed it kinda, she has a great voice. But pretty much every track becomes indistinguishable from each other and found myself impatient for it to finish in the end

Pleasant enough but slightly aimless.

Lasted half way. It's just not needed on the 1,001 albums you need to hear, let's be honest. Inoffensive country (a rarity) but it doesn't particularly lead anywhere interesting. So many better things that should have made this list.

Pretty dull Americana.

Love you, Emmylou.

Country tranquilo. Preciosa voz.

Very good! And with a feature from Dave Matthews!

Buen disco y agradable !!!

Favourite songs: My Baby Needs a Shepherd, Bang the Drum Slowly, The Pearl, Michelangelo, I Don't Wanna Talk About It Now, Tragedy, Boy From Tupelo, Red Dirt Girl, One Big Love Least favourite songs: Hour of Gold 5/5

Beautiful voice, really enjoyed the soothing nature of this. The last track (Boy from Tupelo) especially

What a legendary voice

This album is a 4.99999 for me

I appreciated this record and am excited to spin it up again.

So good listened twice back to back.

Loved every bit.

Country tranquilo. Preciosa voz.

Title track wins but I thought a lot of these songs were gorgeous.

I unexpectedly loved this! I expected it to be more country, but I would really call this a folk album and a really well done one, too. Emmylou Harris's voice is just gorgeous and perfectly suited to this kind of music.

So good

Emmylou Harris has one of my favorite voices in music. This album is gorgeous.

It’s a super strong 4 that I’m gonna round up to a 5, just for my tastes. There are some points early in the album where the production is lacking just that one extra bit for my tastes, but when this album clicks and puts it all together, it’s some of the best country/Americana stuff I’ve heard in a long time. The consequences of “bro country” coming into the scene in the late 90s and early 2000s need to be studied someday, because this is a really good album to me, and I need more stuff like this. Red Dirt Girl? That’s the type of country music I need, not bullshit about trying “that” in a small town, whatever “that” is. The album is just a little too long for me. Could’ve cut it down to like, 8 or 9 tracks, but there’s really not a bad one here. I enjoyed everything on this album; I genuinely think it hits 12 for 12 for me, and that’s why I’m going with a 5 regardless of its slower moments or its perceived flaws. It’s good music, and that’s what matters.

Country

Country tranquilo. Preciosa voz.

One of my all-time favorite albums.

I always appreciated Emmy Lou's song writing talent, but I've never heard this album, her first foray into writing her own songs. This was a real treat.

So great. The song "Tragedy" stopped me in my tracks, and I played it three times, then listened to the whole album again.

Happy to find out this one has mostly songs she wrote, as I really liked the songwriting. Never been sure if I like country, but I'm becoming a dad, my tastes are morphing, and I found myself getting a bit choked up at SEVERAL points. Not every song, but the gorgeous voice and tone still shines through. Have to let my gut speak on this one.

Beautiful and understated and she sings like my girlfriend.

Just crying my face off listening to this album. Five stars.

Love it

Country is my favorite

Excellent - glad I found this one through the "generator"!

Really liked this.

It’s emmylou

4.5/5 - this was really nice, very positive surprise for me

I've heard Emmylou Harris's name before, but I was unfamiliar with her work as a musician before starting this project (I did review Trio a few weeks ago, and in the summer, I randomly checked out Gram Parsons' Grievous Angel, and read about how Gram's widow basically tried to remove as many traces of Emmylou from the album as possible. Gretchen seems lovely). Based on the reviews, I didn't expect to like this album, but I was really surprised by it, because it turned out to be an all-around joy to listen to. Emmylou's singing was incredible, and I loved the unique country-folk sound to the album. The music was fantastic, especially the piano and guitar playing. None of the songs sounded too alike, but the album still felt very cohesive. The lyrics were great too, and I enjoyed that some of the song meanings were very straightforward, while others were very much left open to interpretation. On those merits alone, I can't deny this album a five star rating. When it comes to the cultural importance of this album, and why it's on this list, I think it's a great representation of a larger trend that we've seen this century, where older artists continue to write and record new music, often to positive reviews from critics; Bruce Springsteen's Wrecking Ball and Leonard Cohen's You Want it Darker come to mind when I think about this trend. Some older artists seem to still draw on their old hits, and many a joke has been made about washed-up bands playing county fairs and single day festivals sponsored by FM classic rock stations. But some artists buck that trend, and continue to hone their creative skills. I think this album is a prime example of that, and deserves a spot on this list.

Country tranquilo. Preciosa voz.

I cringed at every word contained within both the album title and artist name expecting to be assaulted by more country music but I was pleasantly surprised, not a banjo in sight. Today was a good day

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: The Pearl, Bang the drum slowly, J’ai fait tout, One big love

Gorgeous

I dig it, could be a nice addition to my library

A different direction for our girl but I liked it!

I liked this

very much liked it

Sweet enough music, although bloat affects this, as well as a sort of "out of touch" element that I can't quite identify.

She's got a gorgeous voice and I like the genre just enough, but it isn't an album I'd reach for. 3.5 stars

Solid song writing delivered well.

nice chill

My introduction to Emmylou Harris probably came first through her appearances as a guest vocalist on other artists' records, and second live performances on programs such as Austin City Limits and similar programs. I have not listened to very many studio recordings from Harris and Red Dirt Girl was my first full-album listening experience. I like her voice and music generally, and I'm always down to see what Harris has to offer. "The Pearl" and "Red Dirt Girl" were my favorite tracks from this album, but all of the tracks were good. "Red Dirt Girl" might be a favorite because I have heard Harris perform the song in concert recordings, including with Mark Knopfler, and First Aid Kit's cover of the song as well -- Both versions are worth finding and listening to. "J'Ai Fait Tout" and "One Big Love" were a spot on the album that began to lose my attention, but I was not lost altogether. I could come back to this album.

She has such a peaceful and beautiful voice! I don't think most people would be able to guess this was released in 2000, it has the timeless 70s folk sound that she was known for from Pieces of the Sky, another great album on this list. I enjoyed spending a calm Sunday morning listening to this.

Great voice, tepid material.

Such a wonderful voice.

I like this quite a bit, great original songs as opposed to covers which apparently is Harris's usual M.O.. There's nothing wrong with covers especially when the performer is a great interpreter like Harris or her friend Linda Ronstadt. It does make me wonder why though. Listening to the production I would've guessed Daniel Lanois had a hand in this, it reminded me of Bob Dylan's Oh Mercy. Turns out it was actually produced by Malcolm Burns who worked with Lanois over the years including on Oh Mercy. I must be some kind of genius. Anyway this is a gem featuring such luminaries as Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa, Kate McGarrigle, Patty Griffin, Dave Matthews, and Luscious Jackson's Jill Cuniff.

I like the blend of Americana, California folk rock and country on this album. Some really nice guitar work by Buddy Miller. Did not know that Bruce and Patti contributed vocals on one of the tracks and Dave Matthews on another. If I could give 3.5 stars I would, since I can’t I’ll round up.

Great songwriting, great voice, great album

better than expected

Surprised I enjoyed this so much. I guess it's just a nice, calming album. I can see the through line to someone like Neko Case

I remember when this album came out and I started hearing about it. I was like, Emmylou Harris? Isn't that the country singer? I don't like country! Turned out that I do like country - at least this type of country/folk/Americana music. The songs are great, Emmylou's voice is amazing, and goes perfectly with the classic Daniel Lanois sound. The song Red Dirt Girl alone is an all-time classic. It's one of those songs that's like watching a movie. It tells a story and you can picture it all. That song just destroys me. Yes, she tried hard to love him But it never did take Just another way for the heart to break So she learned to bend One thing they don't tell you about the blues When you got 'em You keep on fallin' 'cause there ain't no bottom There ain't no end at least not for Lillian Great album by a great lady. 4 stars.

A charming and engaging album, Emmylou Harris has an enchanting voice and these Americana tales are a cut above the rest.

Country music became a huge part of my music tastes over the last 10 years and Emmylou is among my faves. This album is on regular repeat in my house.

If this was what country was like I’d listen to country

Lovely and thoughtful, but a coin flip whether this or Wrecking Ball is better. A bit heavy-handed on the production atmospherics -- the Lanois successor twiddling the knobs trying to out-Lanois Lanois apparently. Emmylou don't need all that. And while it's nice these are all her songs, the lyrics leave a good bit to be desired (e.g., "monkey/funky" rhyme in "One Big Love"). Dave Matthews add nothing. As befits the subject matter "Boy from Tupelo" is just about the best song – with a bonus from the shout out to Rickie Lee Jones, who easily merits inclusion in this book (for either the eponymous debut or Flying Cowboys [one's personal fave]), even if it cost Emmylou one of her three slots.

Emmylou is a deserved legend. However, this record chooses to show off her band primarily. They effectively evoke the country tradition in more or less modern colors: It's a good direction for the genre, if not pack-leading. There's no loss in the move away from covers. The tracklist doesn't blur together, but there aren't any sharp turns. Just occasional journeys into especially beautiful sonic space, working on the soul. That's certainly a cheesy line, as the project comes in a pretty slick package.

Beautiful album, with a lush and (mostly) appropriate production. Not sure about the ‘chilled beats’ on Tragedy, but other than that, this was a tasteful ‘repositioning’ of Emmylou and her amazing voice. If I didn’t know otherwise, I’d assume this was a ‘new’ artist, but that voice betrays the years of experience that have gone into these songs. Definitely one to revisit.

Beautiful and haunting. Very happy to see some of her solo work make it onto the list. Best track: Bang the Drum Slowly

I haven’t heard of this album before. The opening song was a real surprise. This is a more updated sound than I expected. It didn't feel purely country to me although there were strong country undertones. "Michelangelo", "I Don't Want To Talk About It Now", "Red Dirt Girl", "J'ai fait tout", "One Big Love", "My Antonia" and "Boy from Tupelo" were some of the highlights on my first listen, but going back I could probably add the rest of the songs to this list. This is a solid album! I read that this was the first time Emmylou Harris wrote her own songs (all but one) for an album. It definitely worked for her. The songs are very well crafted. This is a gentle and very strong album from a true legend. I can't think of anything not to like about it.